04.27.06

Striking minor league umpires and management settled an unfair labor practice charge filed by the union after resuming bargaining this week following a layoff of 2 1/2 months.

Umpires, who have been on strike since the start of the season, claimed the Professional Umpire Development Corp. threatened to fire employees who went on strike.

“PBUC is required to post a public government notice in every minor league park in the country and mail the notice to all employees, informing the umpires, its employees, that it will honor their rights to engage in union activities, and that it will not threaten striking employees with discharge or other reprisals,” the Association of Minor League Umpires said in a statement Thursday.

Management made what it terms its final offer to the union on Jan. 31. Talks resumed with a federal mediator Wednesday in Cincinnati, and the union said there was no progress. Talks continued Thursday.

“We agreed to settle with no admission of wrongdoing,” management lawyer George Yund said. “The umpires are on strike over their demands for more money, not because of alleged unfair labor practices.”

Throughout the strike, minor league clubs have refused to identify the replacment umps. One of them, Ashville, NC’s Tim Bailey, is interviewed in today’s Ashville Citizen-Times by Keith Jarrett. Bailey says he’s not a scab because he’s not trying to take anyone’s job, but adds “I™m not going to turn down a chance to make money and do something I love. If I didn™t do these games, somebody else would.”